Congratulations on finishing the first draft!!! I hope you did a little something to celebrate it. I also hope that your proofreads go smoothly and quickly.
I read Leslie Wolfe's RANSOM. A quick, fun read about a woman who left her past behind when she was a teen and has been running since. She lands in Las Vegas and falls for a man that is murdered and she is the number one suspect for good reason. She is a sympathetic morally gray character. I, also, finished THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett in 4 days. Boy, do I have a book hangover from it. It's a story set down in Mississippi in 1929 (I think) and told from two perspectives. A girl in an orphanage and a woman trying to save her family's house. It was AMAZING, but I did have a tiny problem with the ending besides not wanting the book to be over, which is saying something since it was over 600 pages. I highly recommend it.
Hi Rachael! Thank you. I did -- finishing day means pizza and champagne. I was so happy to text Randy to bring pizza home. It was a surprise for us both!
I love a sympathetic, morally gray character. That sounds awesome. I think I have RANSOM, too...
Haven't read CALAMITY CLUB yet but I anticipate that I will be soon, hopefully for the show. We will talk the ending then!
Yay to a pizza night. I love things like that. I hope you get Kathryn Stockett on the show!! If you do, I'm curious as to why she ended it the way she did, and hopefully she'll tell you. I, also, would love to talk to you about it after you read it. It's that good!! The one thing I keep hearing from people who have read it, is that they wish they still had more time left with the characters. A lot of them slowed down for the ending. I tried but I couldn't stop myself.
Lovely! Congrats on the first draft and best wishes for the revisions!!! I have yet to learn your levels of productivity, but I'm still revising my first book. Someday I'll know when to let it go. And I'm excited to hear about your 2028 book!
You've touched on something that I think is very important - knowing when to let go. Listen, you only get one chance to make that first book great. Note I say great, not perfect. The perfect book doesn't exist. And all books get stronger during editorial - especially external editorial. So get it to the good stage, and then let some light shine on it, get some outside opinions, then edit to greatness. You've got this!
I'm not happy with it yet. I know it needs some significant revision at this point, but I also know I could tinker with it the rest of my life if I let myself. But I keep telling myself that I only need to get it to the stage where it is as good as I think I alone can get it, then hand it off to others. I've made progress and given myself an internal deadline, so onward! (I'll do much better once (if I am fortunate enough) to have the external pressure of agent, editor, and publisher with real deadlines ... I work best under pressure. But for now, I'm slowly learning how to increase the pressure on myself to get it done.)
Congratulations on your first draft! I find it interesting that the revision process is the most intriguing. I don't think I will ever look at a revision of anything I do the same again! I am a new fan. I happened to see that you were going to speak with Jane Ann Krentz which prompted me to watch. Your work sounds like it would be right up my alley but I have never read any of your works. Where should I start?
Well hi, Terry! Welcome to the Edge! Thrilled that you found me through Jayne. She is the best.
It depends on what you like. If it's dark police procedural, start with All the Pretty Girls. It's the first in a 9-book series. If you like domestic suspense, which all of my standalones fall into, I'd say LIE TO ME, IT'S ONE OF US, or A VERY BAD THING. These are all very representative of my style.
I'd love it if one of the regulars chimed in with their suggestion, too!
If you like a series of books (not everyone does), start with her Taylor Jackson series. You can then pivot to her Dr Samantha Owens series that is Taylor Jackson adjacent.
Otherwise, if series aren't your thing, all of her stand alone books are great thrillers. I always think her most recent book is the best...in this case, YOU KNOW WHY is excellent and it comes in a few weeks.
Woohoo for 1st draft and so happy you're thinking about the next book!
Your talk with Jayne Ann Krentz was great. It's fun listening to her.
I read DEADLY DOES IT by Abbi Waxman. This is the 2nd book in this series. The main characters are both recovering alcoholics...one is young and the other is an aging former movie star, turned lawyer. Its an interesting premise, there's great secondary characters and there's a VERY slow burn romance.
I just started THE LION AND THE DEATHLESS DARK (Crown of Nyaxia world) by Carissa Broadbent. This is dark fantasy and not for everyone. I love how she builds her series into a duology for each set of main characters. This is book 1 in the 3rd duology. Its dark, its violent, but its so good!
We'll be heading to Branson next Fri to see the grandkids down there before their school starts ( the kids asked if we could come down, which just melts my heart)....so I may be absent next week.
Awww...yay for the kids reaching out and wanting to spend time with you. That is precious and you are excused from class. ;)
I like Carissa's work. She's got a wonderful mind for fantasy, and building a world that is interesting. Not escapist reading, but excellent if you're into the darker fantasy.
The Waxman book sounds very interesting, too. I will look!
Grandkids asking you to visit is definitely a heart melt. I hope you have a wonderful time. I love Carissa Broadbent, but I haven't been a place to continue reading her books. I'd love to hear what you think of this one.
That pull is so strong, isn't it? I know you feel it as well. I think that's part of being a professional writer, knowing that the lure is real but should not be answered.
Hope you love Turning to Birds!
I cant wait to tell you what it’s inspired!
🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Congratulations on finishing the first draft!!! I hope you did a little something to celebrate it. I also hope that your proofreads go smoothly and quickly.
I read Leslie Wolfe's RANSOM. A quick, fun read about a woman who left her past behind when she was a teen and has been running since. She lands in Las Vegas and falls for a man that is murdered and she is the number one suspect for good reason. She is a sympathetic morally gray character. I, also, finished THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett in 4 days. Boy, do I have a book hangover from it. It's a story set down in Mississippi in 1929 (I think) and told from two perspectives. A girl in an orphanage and a woman trying to save her family's house. It was AMAZING, but I did have a tiny problem with the ending besides not wanting the book to be over, which is saying something since it was over 600 pages. I highly recommend it.
I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend and week!!
Hi Rachael! Thank you. I did -- finishing day means pizza and champagne. I was so happy to text Randy to bring pizza home. It was a surprise for us both!
I love a sympathetic, morally gray character. That sounds awesome. I think I have RANSOM, too...
Haven't read CALAMITY CLUB yet but I anticipate that I will be soon, hopefully for the show. We will talk the ending then!
Yay to a pizza night. I love things like that. I hope you get Kathryn Stockett on the show!! If you do, I'm curious as to why she ended it the way she did, and hopefully she'll tell you. I, also, would love to talk to you about it after you read it. It's that good!! The one thing I keep hearing from people who have read it, is that they wish they still had more time left with the characters. A lot of them slowed down for the ending. I tried but I couldn't stop myself.
Roger that!!!
Lovely! Congrats on the first draft and best wishes for the revisions!!! I have yet to learn your levels of productivity, but I'm still revising my first book. Someday I'll know when to let it go. And I'm excited to hear about your 2028 book!
Thank you, Audra!
You've touched on something that I think is very important - knowing when to let go. Listen, you only get one chance to make that first book great. Note I say great, not perfect. The perfect book doesn't exist. And all books get stronger during editorial - especially external editorial. So get it to the good stage, and then let some light shine on it, get some outside opinions, then edit to greatness. You've got this!
I'm not happy with it yet. I know it needs some significant revision at this point, but I also know I could tinker with it the rest of my life if I let myself. But I keep telling myself that I only need to get it to the stage where it is as good as I think I alone can get it, then hand it off to others. I've made progress and given myself an internal deadline, so onward! (I'll do much better once (if I am fortunate enough) to have the external pressure of agent, editor, and publisher with real deadlines ... I work best under pressure. But for now, I'm slowly learning how to increase the pressure on myself to get it done.)
Good deal. We'll all keep your feet to the fire.
Thank you! I need all the help I can get!
Congratulations on your first draft! I find it interesting that the revision process is the most intriguing. I don't think I will ever look at a revision of anything I do the same again! I am a new fan. I happened to see that you were going to speak with Jane Ann Krentz which prompted me to watch. Your work sounds like it would be right up my alley but I have never read any of your works. Where should I start?
Well hi, Terry! Welcome to the Edge! Thrilled that you found me through Jayne. She is the best.
It depends on what you like. If it's dark police procedural, start with All the Pretty Girls. It's the first in a 9-book series. If you like domestic suspense, which all of my standalones fall into, I'd say LIE TO ME, IT'S ONE OF US, or A VERY BAD THING. These are all very representative of my style.
I'd love it if one of the regulars chimed in with their suggestion, too!
If you like a series of books (not everyone does), start with her Taylor Jackson series. You can then pivot to her Dr Samantha Owens series that is Taylor Jackson adjacent.
Otherwise, if series aren't your thing, all of her stand alone books are great thrillers. I always think her most recent book is the best...in this case, YOU KNOW WHY is excellent and it comes in a few weeks.
Congrats on finishing the first draft! I know well the story that keeps bumping around in one's skull.
It is a great feeling, for sure, offloading all that. My brain has been much quieter this week.
Woohoo for 1st draft and so happy you're thinking about the next book!
Your talk with Jayne Ann Krentz was great. It's fun listening to her.
I read DEADLY DOES IT by Abbi Waxman. This is the 2nd book in this series. The main characters are both recovering alcoholics...one is young and the other is an aging former movie star, turned lawyer. Its an interesting premise, there's great secondary characters and there's a VERY slow burn romance.
I just started THE LION AND THE DEATHLESS DARK (Crown of Nyaxia world) by Carissa Broadbent. This is dark fantasy and not for everyone. I love how she builds her series into a duology for each set of main characters. This is book 1 in the 3rd duology. Its dark, its violent, but its so good!
We'll be heading to Branson next Fri to see the grandkids down there before their school starts ( the kids asked if we could come down, which just melts my heart)....so I may be absent next week.
Awww...yay for the kids reaching out and wanting to spend time with you. That is precious and you are excused from class. ;)
I like Carissa's work. She's got a wonderful mind for fantasy, and building a world that is interesting. Not escapist reading, but excellent if you're into the darker fantasy.
The Waxman book sounds very interesting, too. I will look!
Grandkids asking you to visit is definitely a heart melt. I hope you have a wonderful time. I love Carissa Broadbent, but I haven't been a place to continue reading her books. I'd love to hear what you think of this one.
These are our youngest grandkids (ages 9 and 6), so they still want to hang out with us...so how can we say no...lol
Carrisa can definitely be tough to read, but its so worth. I typically need to go to something very light after reading one of her books.
There's no saying no to that!! And I can see why you read lightly after that.
Whew! I can feel your relief and elevation seven states away. Props for finishing and for the pull of the next book! 🎉
That pull is so strong, isn't it? I know you feel it as well. I think that's part of being a professional writer, knowing that the lure is real but should not be answered.
Indeed. Finishing is paramount. Not only for deadlines, but to perpetuate the discipline that propels us ahead. :D
Congratulations on finishing! Looking forward to the You Know Why and the rest of the Taylor Jackson series, which I’ve become addicted to!
Oh, I love hearing that!!! It's a lot of fun revisiting them for me. I can't wait for the rest to come out!
Congratulations on finishing your first draft!!!
Thanks, Ruth! A huge relief for the whole team. : )